Current tap



Sept. 19, 1933. E, CLEMENCE 1,927,681

CURRENT TAP Filed Jan. 5, 1929 INVENTOR [///'o/7 (ye/7762766 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 19, 1933 7 CURRENT TAP E lliott Clemence, Millburn, N. J., assignor,

mesne assignments, to

Corporation, Bridgeport, Co

'of Connecticut TheMonowatt Electric V nn;, a corporation Application January '5, 1929. I Serial No. 330,536

' 7 Claims. (01. 173-434) The presentinvention'relates to current taps and is more particularly directed toward current taps of the type suitable'for use with-screw base outlets andior providing a plurality of circuits including "the lamp socket receptacle and blade openings adapted to receive the blades of attachment plugcaps. a p The present invention contemplates a current tap' consistingprincipally. of a single piece of molded insulating material together with suitable screw shell center contacts and bladereceiving contacts capable of ready assembly in the insulating casing so as to provide the desired circuit connections.

. The present invention is Ldesignedmore particularly for employing moldedinsulating material of high mechanical strength such as phe 'nolic'condensation product; which can be molded in thin sections andall the contact parts are insertable into the casing from the lower or socket opening end of theinsulating body.

" The invention also contemplates the provision of a preassambled'unit carrying'the screw'shell socket and center contacts with the lamp'socket and also carrying the blade receivingcontacts ""for cooperation with'the attachment plugs, this' unit'being capable of, being preassembled and h beingplaced' in the insulating casing as a unit. The invention alsocontemplates the provision of a plug forming extension adapted for use on current taps; cluster lamp sockets, and the like by means of which oneis'able'to employ a short 7 insulating body and extend the same by means of a screw threaded shell and shell support.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds. p

The accompanying drawingshows, for purposes of illustrating'the present invention one of the many possible embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being'understood that thedrawing is illustrative of the invensame.

I tion rather than limiting the In the drawing: Figures 1 and"2 are central sectional views taken'at right angles to one another through,

the current tap, with partsiin elevation;

a Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the" 'parts employed in the plug end of the device;

Figure 1 is a perspective viewvof the parts employed within the casing for providing the socket shell and center contactand the blade receiving contacts; r

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the unit as- "sembled out of the parts shown in Figure 4;

Figure is an elevational view of-the insu- L provided with a locking devicefor a male screw lating casing taken in the di'rectionofthe arrow 6 of Figure l, fittings beinguomitted; and l Figure '7 is a section taken on the line '7-."Iv of Figures 1 and 2, the fittings being. omitted;

The insulating body'end as above indicated is preferably made of a single piece of insulating" material 10' such as phenolic'condens'ation prodnot. It isprovided with a short tubular'stem f 'or neck ll'extending upwardly and with atubu 1 lar lower end 12:somewhat larger thanLa lamp j socket contact shell. The lower' part oithe molded piece has asocket receiving openingor recess 13 of general cylindrical shape and=extending upwardly to "about the center of'the housing. The-socket opening. 13 communicates with two transver'sebhannels" l4 shown more clearly in Figure '7. These channels at their outer ends communicate with narrow blade receiving openings 15spaced to receive. the blades commonlyemployed on attachment plug' caps. These transverse passageways in-turn communi cate with a pair of holes or passageways 16.

-which' open'into-the upper chamber 17in the neck or stem of the body member; The body member is alsoprovided with a centrallydisposed bolt hole 18 and with a-pair' of depending lugs 19 extending downwardly from theibridg ing member 20 which separates the crosschannels 14 from one another. Thelower facepof this bridging member-20 is placed atthe same elevation as the small stop'shoulders 2 1 shown more-{clearly in Figure '6. As thesestop shoulders functionto support the interior fittingsin a manner to be described, the material between the stop shoulders is removedfas' indicated at ails of the upperor plug end of the The det "tap are indicated in Figures 1, 2'and 3. As above mentioned, the neck or stem of the body is short. It isslightly'reduced on the outer upper send to 7 "receive a male screw shell 25, which telescopes over it a short distance.' "The upper face of the insulating body may be cutaway slightly' to accommodate the bent over end of a shell contact supporting member to be-described and'it isalso m shell support, here shown in the formof keys 2 6 whioh'extend'upwardly. A screwfshell supporting member 27in the form of a sheet metal stamping or thimble has a lower flange 28 adapttam ja t t en a e wit t inner surface of the upper end 31 of the screw shell Jstamping, and these stampings are each provided with alignment holes, such as indicated at 32 and 33, adapted to receive lugs 34 and 35 ex- 5 tending downwardly :from an. insulating cap member 35. The caip member may be'madeof phenolic condensation product and has a" central hole 37 through which passes a long screw 38. This screw forms the center contact for the plug cluster or other device with which this typeof, plug'extension is employed. All of the parts going to makeup assembly shown in Figure 5, are theform of construction tosbe a) I secured to the socket she11'40'in (:ated'indtail in Figure 4. This socket shell has the usual screw threaded portion 41 adapted tocoopeiate ,With a lampbase or other device and has a tlange end 42, in which is punched a comparatively th cording t openings 44 for receiving alignment lugs19, ;A iportionof the material punched; out f ,hole 43 is bentfupwardly to form a short tongue 45 provided with a hole 46.as,.indicated,,,,, .7 v The-next .piece which, ,is assembled on this -fsocket..stamping is. in the formj of; an insulating 1.fiber disk 47 provided ,withacentral bolt hole 48, a .pair of alignment,.lugkholesnflfl,spaced the .same. asthe lu hole 44;,anda pa l ofislc s 0 :and 51. The slot 50. is placed toaccommodate .the tongue 45. onthe socket, stamping. A sheet- .metal. strip 52 offset as indicatedgatbgand pro- .vided witha hole 54 is nextplaced againstithe ,.tongue'.45, with their 1 0165.111 ali n en -.1 Analigning these par-ts together-and preventing-any bed herein,

large central opening 43 and two small circular rotation of the same relative to one another or to the casing. The strip 52' extends up alongside the inner wall of the stem 11 of the housing and is folded over the upper edge of the housing as indicated at 52 a suitable slot or out. f'ou't being provided =aeee'rhr hdate the thickness of the "metal abo've the stem of the housing and where it folds thereon outside the housing. The bolt 38 may then be "threaded into the nut 62 carried by the center contact member 60, thereby securely clamping he upper sub-assembly including the plug exn-"to the stem 11, while simultaneously V I the lower sub-assemblage in *pi'aeeiag st 'ftliefiridging member 20 and the stop l'fig"s"21i'n"the. insulating housing. After fthe bolt38 'h'as'be'en secured in place, the downward ,,be nt spring contact member 65 is'bent as"i'ndif5ated by the dotted line of Fig. 4. 1 r9mit12 s t it i wil ntt the present ror m of Y construct on provides a rnnl tiple, outlet: cu ent ap" ui table'i'forf be g i plugged into a I screw sre'ceptja'cle, e itist-9 re A le le mas? v r s :i r g et e Ias well astwoattachmentplfig' cps. Th employed are a "singl ng pable of being molded in o' e piece, b1y"of .currer it carrying 'devics his one e'ndiof'thedfevice," m a cluding "t e ping) eiiten wh ch asses hate 105 herhdfif the e t a 1th- A'll 'fthe parts Y 4 and;

ugh the easi required in the deviceare c '35 otherQ contact strip 55 centrally apertured at 56 tir aha theentiredvice .and provided with ,spring ends .57 is placed against the,1ower'offset .end.., fl.Oi. rini5 k nd 1 I :rivet 58.,ispassed,throughthe holes inthe parts f -55, 52am 45 thereby sej i e hese.gond ct n 40 parts together and. ;h01di ng,s,the insulating disk looselyin place aeainst he flan inj e ecke Na i T, .7 The,centencontactiorthelamp.$ 9 12isin ',sible ,jI,jdo ot"1im1t"tnyse1r in"anyway"iwith the form of, abent strip of sheet metal indicated rspect'fth reto. e V: Y

- at 60. It has a hat horizontalv portion ,fi l car- 'fI clai ry n a nut 6. an upwardly. b nt toneu d fie e turedat Geand correspondingto thetongile fi I on,the,socket..,shell and aedownwardly bent sp .contactl ember Q5- ..Tl scqn a str p"? isassembled with an h rtstr nz imi ar. at v st ip 5 having sp in pronssli? an ..a., 2 ntr .1 opening68. A rivet 69 passes thro ughtheholes 'v 68 and .64 and securesthese two parts together so that th y app as;;indi9a ed-. n.Fisu. 1e 1 .disk, '70,simi1ar tonthe diskfi'l is inserta ble into, the socket shell from underneath. This disk has .holes .71, 7 1spa e t es me a h .Ql s,.%& ,49 of the disk 47 and has a:slot 'lfi corresponding with the slot 51. 'Ifhe subassernbly' o f parts I including the center contact. fio andthe laterally extending., contaot carrying str I L6 are riveted giians re ii together'after passing the end 6,3 of;.;the, co n act ""ehdof'thef, lllar steng and a centrally stripthrough the slot 73 in theinsulath tured end spaced'fro'nfthfia eLa'f'riialeherew '70 through opening 43 in, :he sock9t' Sta ping shell haying a gentrally apert dendithe'fskirt .s and h'the S10 51 i hfih.. f .-h;.e. a. Qfi h t l nth y w .The assemblage shown in Figure 5 may. ,be "ing fiv ll em,

, brought into positioninthe ipsulating housiilg $i0 h Sh l V by merelypassing the assemblage up into the centric lug passing V opening 13 untilarrestedby the st op shoulders into thiel d b said s'lieet metal I on,

O ,121, the partsbeing in suoha. position thatthe nd i i3J1 y f ffia g ssing contact strips 55 and 66 pass into ,fchanne'lsfjh, fthroilgh the andthf cent esin 14. At the same time, theIs'trifiSZ'will pe st the 'ektnsiomand'shell. through,- one ofthe'openingsllfi and the align- V 3. An,electrical connect ment lugs19 will ent'er'the hol'esf'elQ, if'and 72 ""type""hajvihg'fan" H I 7 inthe disks and socket shell stampingthereby stemfashe'et' metal plug e zithsion ha hg' ai and acentrally apertured end spaced from the flange, the flange being notched to receive a lug extending upwardly from the stem, a male screw shell having a centrally apertured end, the skirt of the shell surrounding the flange and telescoping over the stem, an insulating disk outside the end of the screw shell, and an axially extending conductor passing through the disk and the central apertures in the extension andshell.

4. An electrical connector of the screw plug type having an insulatingbody with a tubular stem, .a .sheet metal plug extension having a flange resting on the end of the tubular stem and a centrally apertured end spaced from the flange, a male screw shell having a centrally apertured end, the skirt of the shell surrounding the flange and telescoping over the stem, an insulating disk outside the end of the screw shell, the disk having locking lugs extending through oil" center holes in the shell and extension, and

an axially extending conductor passing through the disk and the central apertures in the extension and shell.

5. An electrical connector of the screw plug type having an insulating body with a tubular stem, a sheet metal plug extension having a flange resting on the end of the tubular stem and a centrally apertured end spaced from the flange, the flange being notched to receive a lug extend ing upwardly from the stem, a male screw shell having a centrally apertured end, the skirt ofv the shell surrounding the flange and telescoping over the stem, an insulating disk outside the end of the screw shell, the disk having locking lugs extending through ofl center holes in the shell and extension, and an axially extending conductor passing through the disk and the central apertures in the extension and shell.

6. In an electrical connector of the screw plug type, the combination with an insulating body,

a screw shell contact, and an insulating disk carried by the end of the screw shell, of an interiorly disposed metallic thimble interlocked with said body. and positioning the screw shell ble beinginterlocked with said screw shell being interlocked with said thimble to prevent relative rotation. g

' ELLIOTT CLEMENCE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,927,681. September 19,1933.

ELLIOTT GLEMENCE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the 3, line 102. claim above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 7, after "said" insert "base and said"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Sign d and sealed this 24th day of October, A. D. 1933.

F. M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

